Islam & Knowledge
The literal meaning
of Islam is peace; surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for the sake
of God and surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God. The message
of Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on him)
1, 400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) and was
thus preserved in the Holy Quran.The Holy Quran carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard
from interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of the earlier
scriptures.
The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the Creator of the world is
One and He alone is worthy of worship and that Muhammad (peace and blessings on
him) is His Messenger and Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a Muslim
- a Muslim’s other beliefs are: God’s angels, previously revealed Books
of God, all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day of
Judgement and indeed the Decree of God. A Muslim has five main duties to perform,
namely; bearing witness to the Unity of God and Muhammad (peace and blessings on
him) as His Messenger, observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping
the fasts of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Quran tells us that God has
given human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek God’s pleasure
through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes that God created mankind in His
image and by imbuing the attributes of God on a human level mankind can attain His
nearness. Islam’s main message is to worship God and to treat all God’s
creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in old age, orphans and
the needy are clearly stated. Women’s rights were safeguarded 1,400 years
ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness about emancipation. Islamic
teachings encompass every imaginable situation and its rules and principles are
truly universal and have stood the test of time.
In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of nature that are lawful.
On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy, active life with the qualities
of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage patience and politeness. In short,
Islam has a perfect and complete code for the guidance of individuals and communities
alike. As the entire message of Islam is derived from the Holy Quran and indeed
the Sunnah and Hadith (the traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and
blessings on him) it is immutable in the face of change in time and place. It may
appear rigid to the casual eye, in actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable
way of life regardless of human changes.
Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is open to all. Any individual
who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to God through sincere and earnest
worship; it is central to establishing a relationship with the Almighty. This positive
message for humanity fills hearts with hope and courage.
At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and they form the majority in
more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is the fastest growing faith in
the world - its beautiful message is reaching millions in the far corner of the
earth.
If one want to under stand the life history, teachings,
mission, message of HUZOOR GHARIB NAWAZ (R.A) which spreaded the message of universal
brother hood and peace in India it is very necessary to know something about ISLAM
and SUFISM which is the essence of ISLAM so the beginning of this WEB SITE deals
with the subject on ISLAM and SUFISM.
The Arabic word ISLAM means Peace, Submission and Obedience .the religion of ISLAM
is the complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of god as reveled to his
PROPHET MOHAMMAD (S.A.W)
A Muslim is one who believes in ALLAH and strives for total reorganization of his
life according to his revealed guidance and the sayings of the PROPHET MOHAMMAD
(S.A.W). He also works for building human society on the same basics. ISLAM gives
the message of peace, brother hood, love and serving the mankind .if we break up
the word ISLAM we will find.
I= I
S= SHALL
L= LOVE
A= ALL
M= MANKIND
I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND
PROPAGATION OF ISLAM:
From the Oasis cities of MAKKAH and MADINA in the Arabian Desert, the message of
ISLAM went forth with electrifying speed. Within half century ISLAM had spread to
three continents. A fallacious charge is frequently brought against ISLAM that it
was forced at the point of sword, although the true fact is otherwise. ISLAM is
not the religion of Sword nor did it spread primarily by means of war .it spreaded
because of the appeal of new religion. It was the faith in one god and emphasis
upon his mercy that brought vast numbers of people into the fold of ISLAM .the new
religion did not coerce people to convert. Many continued to remain same of there
own religion to which they belonged and if we look we will find that different communities
are living in Muslim lands.
Moreover the spread of ISLAM was not limited to its miraculous early expansion outside
of ARABIA. During later centuries the Turks embraced ISLAM peacefully, as did a
large number of the people of the Indian continent and the Malay-speaking world.
In Africa also, ISLAM has spread during the past two centuries even under the mighty
power of European colonial rulers. today also ISLAM continues to grow not only in
AFRICA but also in Europe, America and in different parts of world where Muslim
now comprise a notable majority.
Islam Way of Life
ISLAM provides definite guidelines for all peoples to
follow in all walks of life . the guidance it gives is comprehensive and includes
the social , economic , political , moral , and spiritual aspect of life . The QURAN
reminds man of the purpose of life on earth , of his duties and obligation towards
himself , his kith and kin , his community , his fellow human beings and his creator
. man is given fundamental guidelines about a purposeful life and then he is left
with the challenge of human existence before him so that he might put these high
ideals into practice . In ISLAM , mans life is a wholesome , integrated unit and
not a collection of fragment , competitive parts of man :they are united in the
nature of being human .
Islam & Knowledge
Islam is a religion based upon knowledge for it is ultimately
of the oneness of GOD combined with faith and total commitment to him that saves
man . the text of the QURAN is replete with verses inviting man to use his intellect
, to ponder , to think and to know for the goal of human life is to discover the
truth which is none other than worshipping GOD in his oneness . The Hadith literature
is also full of reference to the importance of knowledge . such saying of PROPHET
(S.A.W) "as seek knowledge even in china" , "seek knowledge from
the cradle to grave" , and verily the men of knowledge are the inheritors of
PROPHET (S.A.W)" , have echoed through the history of ISLAM and incited Muslim
to seek knowledge whenever it might be found . during most of its history , Islamic
civilization has been witness to a veritable celebration of knowledge . That is
why the scholars have been held in the highest esteem in Islamic society.